Adapting Forklift Safety Procedures to Your Site

An OSHA regulation due for release in October 1997 will require site-specific training for forklift operators. For site-specific training, producers must develop a hazard-recognition program for each plant, then train employees to avoid hazardous conditions. A pipe manufacturer will be required to design a safety program that is different from the one developed by a precast tank manufacturer, for example.
Forklift manufacturers like the Equipment Manufacturers Institute's Rough Terrain Forklift Council can help producers develop site-specific training. The council has developed a video and manual that provide safety precautions before starting the forklift's engine, when moving around the plant, when loading products and when shutting down the equipment.
KEYWORDS: forklift, safety